Placement of engine assemblies in land combat vehicles has design aspects not normal for other vehicles. First, the engine assembly of a land combat vehicle must be in an enclosed, armored compartment to protect it from enemy fire. Second, interior space of combat vehicles is at a greater premium than vehicles such as cargo trucks and passenger cars. As a result, there typically is little space in combat vehicles between an engine assembly and panels of a compartment where the engine is located. When the engine assembly is lowered into the compartment, the lack of space makes it difficult to access or see engine mounts on the floor of the compartment. Consequently, installation of engine assemblies in combat vehicles can require much time, labor and skill.
I address the above problem of installing engine assemblies by using a remotely operated engine mount mechanism. This mechanism comprises a mounting adapter fixed to the engine and mated to a mounting block on the floor of the engine compartment. The adapter has a cross-sectionally tapered ridge and the mounting block has a complimentary channel to closely receive the ridge. The adapter has a facial flats adjacent the ridge that interface with like flats on the block when the adapter engages the block. The mounting block has two block bores on an axis intersecting the channel, and the adapter's ridge has a bore which aligns with the block bores when the block and adapter engage. A plunger in one block bore is biased to translate through the ridge bore and into the other block bore, so the adapter and block are interlock to fix the engine to the compartment floor. Plunger translation is effected by a cable connected thereto, and a releasable locking device on the cable retains the cable and plunger in a selected position.